Nigeria: Nigeria, IEA strengthen partnership on energy policy and investment.

Abuja, Nigeria - September 03, 2026 Nigeria and the International Energy Agency (IEA) have signed an agreement for a Joint Work Programme to strengthen strategic partnership in the development of data for energy policy and investment. Speaking during the signing of the agreement on Thursday in Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima, said Nigeria’s formal admission into the IEA as an association country was a significant milestone. Shettima also said that the move was another testament to the gains of the economic reforms of the administration of President Bola Tinubu. The vice president said that Nigeria’s formal entry into the fold of the Paris-based non-governmental organisation justifies Tinubu's administration’s policy choices. He commended the IEA for the important role it played in shaping global energy landscape. Shettima said the effort of the agency in the global energy conversation and in supporting countries to navigate the challenges of energy security, affordability, sustainability and economic development, cannot be overstated. " Nigeria’s admission as an association country with the IEA is a significant milestone for our country and it reflects Nigeria’s strategic importance in the global energy landscape. " And the confidence that IEA has placed in our commitment to constructive international energy cooperation. " Nigeria will benefit from IEA’s institutional knowledge, the intellectual resources, the reach and expertise to support our nation’s ambitions in this sector.” He acknowledged Nigeria’s abundant renewable energy resources and his commitment to repositioning the economy leveraging available resources which are already manifesting across different sectors of the economy. She assured the IEA team of Tinubu's administration’s commitment to partnering with other stakeholders within the setting to contribute to the global energy debate on a fair and just energy transition. Earlier, Dr Fatih Birol, head of the IEA delegation, explained that the organisation covers all technological fields, including oil and gas, solar and nuclear power, artificial intelligence, and electric vehicles. " After a detailed discussion with the Minister of State for Petroleum and Gas, Mr Ekperikpe Ekpo, the Board comprising the governments of the United States, Japan, Germany, Italy, and UK voted and accepted Nigeria unanimously as a member. "The IEA will accompany the Nigerian energy sector for the next few years to come for a much better energy future. " We will provide policy advice from clean cooking to gas markets, from gas markets to training Nigerian experts at the IEA at our own," he assured. Also, Ekpo, stressed that Nigeria's admittance into the IEA was based on the performance of the Tinubu administration as reflected in the reforms undertaken in the economy. On his part, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanoaiye, described IEA’s partnership with Nigeria as important, noting that the Nigerian Mission in Paris played a critical role in ensuring its success. He pledged the commitment of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, to the process. " Our role is to ensure that whatever government does at home is projected effectively in advancing and promoting the interest of Nigeria. “We take this as a critical component of our national interest and we will not fail in ensuring that we assist, as facilitators and coordinators, in ensuring that the maximum benefit of this endeavor is derived for the benefit of the Nigerian people." Also, the Director-General Energy Commission of Nigeria, Dr Mustapha Abdullahi, said the commission’s relationship with IEA led to the joint sponsorship of Nigeria’s current National Energy Master Plan. He expressed optimism that Nigeria’s formal joining of the IEA and the signed agreement would strengthen the Commission’s relationship with the organisation